


Alpha waves

by blue_eyed



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 07:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/619407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_eyed/pseuds/blue_eyed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt on tumblr from qwanderer: Clint finds Bruce in his lab with electrodes all over his scalp and monitors and stuff, and he's freaked out until Bruce manages to explain that alpha wave neurofeedback is completely harmless and the machines aren't doing anything but collecting information</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alpha waves

**Author's Note:**

> Passing references to nightmares/what Bruce would have nightmares about.

The clatter of the plate was jarringly loud in the otherwise silent lab. Clint barely registered the plate had left his hands, too focused on the sight before him. Bruce was in the next room, hooked up to at least two machines, eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling, that much Clint could tell, but he was too busy with the images currently flashing through his mind to look too closely.

Bruce often had nightmares, woke up panting, shouting hoarsely, visions of vivisection and constant observation haunting his sleep. Clint knew his fears weren’t entirely irrational, had read some of the objectives of the ‘Hulkbusters’. Clint spent far too long promising to keep Bruce safe to not react to the sight of Bruce wired up and seemingly unconscious.

He was at Bruce’s side in an instant. He wanted to rip the cap off, fling the machinery to the floor, but he also didn’t want to awake the Hulk, not sure entirely what was going on.

“Bruce, Bruce!”

Bruce opened his eyes immediately, struggling to sit up.

“Clint-” Bruce started, but Clint interrupted him.

“What’s going on? Are you ok?” Clint grabbed Bruce’s shoulder, needing to feel that Bruce was ok. “What are all these machines?”

“It’s fine, Clint. Trust me, it’s fine,” Bruce said. “Here, let me just-” He started pulling wires off, Clint helped him, biting his lip as the adrenaline of the past few minutes started to wane. “I’m just gathering some information, nothing more.”

“What on? Why all the machinery?”

“Alpha-brain waves.” Clint just blinked blankly at him. Bruce ducked his head and fiddled with the electrode in his hand. “They are a type of brain-wave, one sub-type of which is emitted during relaxed, non-sleepy state. There’s some interesting research that, if the level of this type of alpha wave can be increased using biofeedback, it could be helpful for phobias, hyperactivity.”

Clint started to join the dots. “So you think they might be helpful in controlling the Other Guy.”

“Exactly,” Bruce nodded. “But first I need to get some baseline readings, which is what I was doing here.” Bruce gestured to the machinery.

“Sorry,” Clint said, feeling embarrassed at his outburst.

“Don’t be, don’t ever be sorry for looking out for me. I would’ve told you what I was upto, but I didn’t expect you to come down.”

“Paperwork took less time that I thought. I did bring lunch, but...” Clint trailed off and looked behind him. He could just see the remains of Bruce’s lunch splattered on the floor. Bruce huffed a laugh. Clint looked back, wanting to glare, but it dissolved in the face of Bruce’s mirth. Soon Clint was laughing too, leaning into Bruce’s side.

When they had calmed down, Clint placed a kiss on Bruce’s forehead.

“Love you,” he murmured.

“Love you. And thank you, for looking out for me,” Bruce replied, pulling Clint in for another kiss.


End file.
